Classic Hollywood's glamorous parties have long been romanticized, but behind the scenes lurked a dark underbelly of s**ual exploitation.
One infamous event that exemplifies this culture took place at MGM's 1937 sales convention.
The convention boasted celebrity meet-and-greets, marching bands, and even an escort of motorcycle cops.
However, for Patricia Douglas, a dancer and movie extra, the night turned into a nightmare she wished to forget.
Douglas was one of 120 young women who were lured to the party under false pretenses, only to find themselves trapped.
To make matters worse, Douglas was stalked by a drunken salesman who forced her to drink alcohol and then raped her.
This incident was just one example of the prevalent culture of s**ual exploitation in Hollywood during its Golden Age.
“Stag parties,” organized by and for Hollywood men, were not only common but also notoriously dangerous for young women.
Director Sam Wood even warned starlet Pauline Wagner, who doubled as Fay Wray's stunt double in the film King Kong, to avoid these parties.
However, attending such events was often seen as a compliment or a potential career opportunity for women, as they were sometimes paid by studios and others to attend.
Unfortunately, many found themselves expected to do more than just be eye candy.
Women extras were particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
Without contracts to protect them, they were viewed as disposable and often coerced into becoming “party favors” by men on set.
Some even acted as pimps, exploiting their fellow female colleagues.
These male-centered affairs attracted dancers, extras, and starlets alike.
As filmmaker and Hollywood biographer David Stenn explains, entertainment at stag events meant having women present.
The convention party where Patricia Douglas was assaulted was fueled by the belief that men could act with impunity while away from home.
During this era, a few major Hollywood studios monopolized both the movie market and the lives of their employees.
Studios like MGM exerted strict control over every aspect of their actors' lives, from personal choices to appearance, demanding absolute loyalty.
Stenn compares MGM to a totalitarian state, emphasizing its dominance over its employees.
To maintain their power, studios went to great lengths to suppress scandalous stories or “fix” them by disguising the truth.
Within this Hollywood dictatorship, women occupied a clear underclass.
They faced objectification and sexualization at every turn, from casting to production and even private interactions with stars and studio heads.
Workplace harassment was not yet recognized as a concept, leaving women to endure unwelcome advances and assumptions of s**ual availability.
The infamous “casting couch” was a prevalent feature, with women expected to make themselves available to powerful men as dates and sometimes more.
Actress Janis Paige, for example, was instructed by her MGM director to go on a date with a stranger, only to have him attempt to rape her.
She managed to escape, but kept the incident secret until revealing it at the age of 95.
Other notable celebrities, such as Judy Garland, also experienced unwanted groping from studio figures like Louis B. Mayer when they were still teenagers.
Stars and studio employees had ample opportunities for sordid behavior.
In 1935, Clark Gable allegedly date-raped his co-star Loretta Young during an overnight train journey.
Young became pregnant but concealed her condition, giving birth in secret and leaving her child in an orphanage.
Eventually, she “adopted” her own daughter at 19 months old.
If Young had reported her assault and pregnancy to the studio, she might have faced a fate similar to Patricia Douglas.
When Douglas confided in someone at the party about her rape, she was taken to a private hospital staffed by an MGM-paid doctor named Edward Lindquist.
Studio-paid doctors like Lindquist were known for providing abortions, treating s**ually transmitted diseases, and performing operations that stars wished to keep hidden.
That night, Douglas was subjected to a botched rape “exam,” effectively removing all physical evidence of the crime.
Most aspiring actresses in Hollywood's Golden Age chose to endure their traumas silently without seeking justice.
However, Patricia Douglas decided to sue, embarking on a battle that reached federal court.
Unfortunately, her case was ultimately dismissed after a vicious smear campaign.
For David Stenn, who interviewed Douglas and other women affected by abuse, her story was part of a larger pattern of oppression and mistreatment.
The women he spoke to often described themselves as being “hunted.”
Regrettably, due to the extensive “fixing” prevalent in Hollywood, we will never truly know how many aspiring actresses fell victim to predators instead of achieving their dreams.
